***OFFICIAL MINNESOTA VS QUINNIPIAC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHP IN-GAME THREAD!!!***


NOBODY has said that the Gophers should have won easily or that Quinnipiac isn't a very good team. Everybody is pointing out that the Gophers went into a shell. Right after the tying goal....the Gophers started producing some opportunities on offense again. Why did they completely abandon trying to score in the third?
14-2 shot difference in the third - beyond comprehension
 

Quinnipiac was getting very little going in transition. For that entire first period and a half. So it just doesn't make sense to me why the coaches would be content to simply let them hold the puck in our zone for the majority of the period.
 

Both Q and the Gophs are great teams but the way the Gophers tried to nurse a small lead and played in the third period is inexcusable. Losing to another great team is fine but the way that they lost and were totally outplayed and outcoached in the end was a joke and makes you wonder where did our great team go? It appears they left after the 2nd period.
 

14-2 shot difference bon the third - beyond comprehension

Right. I don't get posters trying to deny that the gameplan was to nurse the one goal lead. Unless you think that Quinnipiac is just THAT MUCH BETTER than the Gophers. I don't think that's the case at all. Team abandoned trying to score. Just unbelievable.
 


Bottom line is that Q outskated, out-fought and obviously out played Motzko and company. On top of that, they wanted it a lot more when push came to shove.
 

Quinnipiac was getting very little going in transition. For that entire first period and a half. So it just doesn't make sense to me why the coaches would be content to simply let them hold the puck in our zone for the majority of the period.
I was waiting for them to break it open by continually charging into Quinnipiac's zone, shooting it up and getting one or two to go in. But we decided to "shell up".

Also, not getting the puck out of our zone with a -2 player disadvantage and an open net really hurt, too.
 

So did you think the gophers were gonna easily walk to a victory? The bobcats are a damn good team and try as we like these are 18-22 year olds that tried their best to win the game. I personally wanted to face Michigan as their style fits ours way better. The gophers feasted on odd man rushes this year, especially the top line, and there was one of those tonight.
Seriously, what don’t you understand?

Absolutely no one thought Q wasn’t a good team. No one is acting as if the Gophers lost to a high school team.

The game was lost in part by the horrendous coaching decision on how the Gophers played the 3rd period.

You might not like it but Motzko is more than deserving of the criticism.
 

Everyone on here acting like they lost to some high school team. This was a team that had been 1st or 2nd all year in the RPI with the gophers. They were a very good team as evident in their beating of Michigan, a team Minnesota had struggled with.

This type of game is exactly the type the gophers have failed to win for 10 years now. A tight checking game against a not as skilled team but a more disciplined team. Tonight looked like it might break the mold but it was not to be.
Agreed. That Michigan team was really good and they beat them soundly. Didn’t go the way of M but that was a solid team all year with plenty of upperclassmen
 



Peknold is like see it was because we had all those Minnesota and Michigan kids, that was why we couldn't win the World Juniors.
 

Won’t it be all that much sweeter when the gophers win next year in St Paul after a 21 year drought. Would be even better if it’s against Michigan.
 

Close is not gone, he has another year to play. If this game fought Cooley and Snuggy one thing it’s that they are physically not ready to play against older players. Cooley was a no factor tonight
His stupid penalty in third was a big factor - looked he was pissed cause he couldn’t get his stick on the puck in front of the net and the Quinny Player got in his head about it and he throws a hissy fit and gets a penalty. He’ll get his piss worked if he acts like child in the NHL
and Snuggy was only good on the power play in the first period.
 




Right. I don't get posters trying to deny that the gameplan was to nurse the one goal lead. Unless you think that Quinnipiac is just THAT MUCH BETTER than the Gophers. I don't think that's the case at all. Team abandoned trying to score. Just unbelievable.
Run out the clock BS and we have better players, su run them off the ice and back to CT
 


Why was our top line on the bench to start OT? I have wondered that at the start of games before too, certainly in OT when something like what happened, can happen.

The Gophers coaches should realize it's happened before in the NCAA tournament that quickly in OT so your best players should be out there since if they're not, they might not have a chance to make a difference.

I'm still in shock..
 


This team had a chance to lay claim at being the best in program history. But when it was on the line they failed. A 2 goal lead and they sat down. Such a typical Minnesota team
It's as if they never heard the phrase the most dangerous score is a two score lead.:mad:

If it hurts us this bad, I can't even imagine how the players feel.
 

not like it but Motzko is more than deserving of the criticism.
His stupid penalty in third was a big factor - looked he was pissed cause he couldn’t get his stick on the puck in front of the net and the Quinny Player got in his head about it and he throws a hissy fit and gets a penalty. He’ll get his piss worked if he acts like child in the NHL
In fairness the Quincy guy trapped Copley’s stick under his arm prior to the penalty on Cooley.

 

How about devise a game plan that involves actually playing in the 3rd period.

Might want to start there.
I really thought that we were going to pour it on in the third period.
 




So did you think the gophers were gonna easily walk to a victory? The bobcats are a damn good team and try as we like these are 18-22 year olds that tried their best to win the game. I personally wanted to face Michigan as their style fits ours way better. The gophers feasted on odd man rushes this year, especially the top line, and there was one of those tonight.
Can you come to my job and make excuses as to why I'm not performing up to my boss's expectations?

We didn't face Michigan tonight. It showed. We stopped trying to score goals and lengthening our lead like we did going into the third period with a lead all season.
 

Why was our top line on the bench to start OT? I have wondered that at the start of games before too, certainly in OT when something like what happened, can happen.

The Gophers coaches should realize it's happened before in the NCAA tournament that quickly in OT so your best players should be out there since if they're not, they might not have a chance to make a difference.

I'm still in shock..
That and whatever Motzko said to the team before the OT really got them ready to play/s.
 

To me it looked like conditioning might be an issue, too. Might not have just been a bizarre coaching decision . We appeared legitimately gassed in 3rd period. Q looked like the game had just started. 🤷🏼‍♂️
Yep. I think that was part of the strategy in hindsight. Survive the first and let our Gophers tire out.
 


He straight up grabbed the stick like I had thought. If anything.....that should have been a penalty on them.
The Q player goaded him into the penalty which turned out to be a very smart play. Cooley lost his cool and Q won the game.

Cooley needs to understand he was leading by 1 and there were 4 minutes left...let him have the stick, his reaction is what the guy wanted.
 


The Q player goaded him into the penalty which turned out to be a very smart play. Cooley lost his cool and Q won the game.

Cooley needs to understand he was leading by 1 and there were 4 minutes left...let him have the stick, his reaction is what the guy wanted.
When you are winning a championship game in the third, your reaction to any shots taken at you by an opponent should be to keep your arms down and smile. Joel Erikson-Ek of the Wild is the master of not taking the bait.
 




Top Bottom